Stories abound of children being hurt while playing summer sports like baseball, but local experts say the sports are actually relatively safe with proper safeguards.

Photo by Stephen Brooks

Red Sox Coach Doug Hunolt assists Tate Kirchner with the catcher’s equipment Friday evening at their machine-pitch baseball game at Cosmo Field. The Parks and Recreation department provides safety equipment to players in order to prevent injuries during play.

Dr. Jennifer Krause, a pediatrician with St. Mary’s Health Center, said a 2001 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found baseball and softball to be “relatively safe sports and that catastrophic injuries are rare.”

“Overall incidence of injury in baseball is in two to eight percent of participants each year,” she said. “The most common acute injuries are bruises and scrapes, followed by fractures. Other injuries include sprains/strains, concussions, internal injuries and dental trauma.”

In an effort to reduce the risk of injury, children who participate in the Parks and Recreation baseball leagues are ....

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